12 best drag shows in San Francisco to visit now

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags Drag brunch at San Francisco’s 620 Jones Bar. Ebony W. via YelpWhat’s a weekend without brunch? And, more to the point, what’s a San Francisco brunch without drag queens? While drag queens across the country are battling anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, the queens of San Francisco remain deeply celebrated. And thanks to drag shows and brunches popping up throughout the Bay Area, they stay #bookedbusyandblessed.We reached out to some of the city’s most beloved queens for recommendations for the best drag shows in San Francisco, pulling together a list of 12 spots where royalty themselves party and brunch. So stuff your pockets with tens and twenties, because these girls are good and drag isn’t cheap. We’re embarking on a whirlwind tour of the popping world of San Francisco drag — with a few East Bay favorites added in, too (we see you, Oakland, and we’re here for it.)AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad1. The best drag brunch in the Castro: Lips and Lashes Drag Brunch What to know: Hosted by Carnie Asada, with two seatings every Saturday, this cavalcade of drag queens, burlesque performers and live vocalists turn it out with high-kicks, handsprings and death drops. Have stacks on deck; these girls will earn every dollar as you feast on.Why it’s great: Believe the hype, drag queens say: Lips and Lashes Drag Brunch at The Lookout is “the best drag brunch in the Castro,” according to queen Afrika America. Loma Prietta adds that Lips and Lashes Drag Brunch is “the best place to see queens doing kicks, cartwheels, singing — you name it.” And Lonnie Haley calls it “a must-experience when visiting the Castro.” Find it: The Lookout, 3600 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94114; 415-431-0306AdvertisementArticle continues below this adA summons to join a mimosa-fueled drag brunch at 620 Jones in San Francisco, Calif.Jon L. via Yelp2. At one of SF’s best brunch venues, Saturdays and Sundays are a drag … brunch What to know: Show director Afrika America has assembled a rocking cast that includes, as she puts it, “ferocious local, domestic and international drag talent,” like Militia Scunt from “Queen of the Universe,” Corazon from “Drag Race Philippines,” and TikTok and Instagram star Tila Pia.Why it’s great: 620 Jones may very well be the best brunch space in San Francisco (it also has a killer happy hour). This cocktail bar and rooftop restaurant floats among high-rises just blocks from Union Square. Every Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine, drag and brunch go together like fried chicken, waffles and Crystal hot sauce. Performer Lonnie Haley swears the food is by far the best brunch in San Francisco; crowds here go as wild for chef Erik Hopfinger’s menu as they do the open-air drag artistry. AdvertisementArticle continues below this adFind it: 620 Jones, 620 Jones St., San Francisco, CA 94102; 415-845-22573. Brunch is a burlesque buffet at Jolene’s What to know: Sgt. Die Wies is the sarge-in-charge of Womanopoly SF, a troupe of queer and trans people of color who shake up everything you know about burlesque at Jolene’s Sunday brunch. Come hungry and ready to throw dollars to performers like Frankie Fictitious, Elyse Elaine and RedBone.Why it’s great: All-you-can-eat brunch.  Have you ever heard sweeter words? And if never-ending avocado toast, smoked salmon bagels and deviled eggs aren’t enough to get your pulse racing, Sunday brunches at this Mission District queer bar toss in all the burlesque your heart can take. AdvertisementArticle continues below this adBring your game face to the weekly drag brunch at Oakland’s Port Bar. The Port Bar via Yelp4. Stacked with East Bay talent: The Port Bar drag brunchWhat to know: The queens agree the Port Bar is the drag brunch to beat in the East Bay. “Every Sunday, Amoura Teese serves up a scintillating show along with iHeart Radio sensation DJ Magic Matt,” performer Afrika America says. “You’ll find a groove and some of the most diverse performances here.”AdvertisementArticle continues below this adWhy it’s great: Two words: Amoura Teese. This queen is the host of the Port Bar’s Sunday drag brunch, “a Bay Area icon and one of the best hosts in the Bay,” says drag queen Loma Prietta. “She brings the energy up, makes people laugh and has talented drag performers. Her shows are a must-see.”Find it: The Port Bar, 2023 Broadway Ave., Oakland, CA 94612; 510-823-20995. House of M’s Barrelhouse Brunch: You won’t leave hungryAdvertisementArticle continues below this adWhat to know: Mia Munro, Natalie Ray and Laundra Tyme share the mic and max out the glamour at this Castro drag brunch, which takes place every Saturday at the Midnight Sun. A rotating cast of queens bring packed-out crowds hungry for the amazing entertainment that only drag can provide. Why it’s great: Choices. If you aren’t intimidated by a gigantic menu, the Midnight Sun’s Barrelhouse Brunch is for you. The spot’s wide array of craft cocktails and spritzes, beers on tap, hearty breakfasts and rib-sticking barbecue is not for the indecisive.Find it: Midnight Sun, 4067 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94114; 415-861-4186At Beaux, a gay bar in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, each week a different drag queen curates the weekend drag brunch. Robert K. via YelpAdvertisementArticle continues below this ad6. A drag brunch for the ages at BeauxWhy it’s great: Brace yourself for an unforgettable afternoon of extraordinary characters and NSFW humor. “This great dance club in San Francisco’s Castro District puts on a mean drag brunch,” performer Afrika America says. A different queen hosts each brunch, bringing her own flavor and flair every Saturday and Sunday, with two seatings each day.Find it: Beaux, 2344 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114; 415-658-7712AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad7. Saluting Black excellence at Reparations What to know: “This show is about amplifying Black talent but also about putting some coins in Black wallets too,” Jizz told 48hills, whose readers named Jizz the Bay’s Best Drag Performer and Reparations the Bay’s Best Drag Show in 2022. Since making the leap in 2020 from a Twitch stream to the Oasis stage, Reparations has become a monthly drag staple that highlights performers of color like Rahni NothingMore, Sir Joq, Coco Buttah and Pearl Teese.Why it’s great: Time to pay up. Reparations is San Francisco’s only drag show with an all-Black cast, in which attendees pay “reparations” to a community of Black performers in the form of tips. Drag queen Nicki Jizz and her lineup salute Black excellence every second Friday of the month at SoMa nightclub Oasis, bringing their Black Girl Magic from across the Bay Area and beyond. Find it: Oasis, 298 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-795-3180AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad8. Princess: San Francisco drag at its finest What to know: Each Princess show often hones in on a particular artist or theme — think Disney or Nintendo, or tributes to Dolly Parton or Taylor Swift — all starring SF’s best queens, with visiting Ru girls guest performing each month. You never know what these queens will come up with, but you know you’ll enjoy it.Why it’s great: This event also happens at Oasis, which is owned by San Francisco’s very first Drag Laureate D’Arcy Drollinger. The spot’s weekly drag show Princess – like Reparations – is one of the shows you “never have to ever wonder if you’re going to have a good time at,” says performer Lonnie Haley.Find it: Oasis, 298 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-795-3180AdvertisementArticle continues below this adSyzygy performs at a Golden Hour Drag, a drag show at Baker Beach in San Francisco, Calif. on June 9, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE9. A sunset seaside drag show at Golden Hour DragWhat to know: These sunset seaside shows happen each weekend — on Fridays on the nudist-friendly northern stretch of Baker Beach near the Sand Ladder, and on Saturdays and Sundays at Baker Beach’s south end by Lobos Creek. Be sure to check the Instagram link below for the most up-to-date details. And always bring layers  — even if it’s sunny in the rest of the city, Baker Beach can get quite chilly.Why it’s great: This one’s got natural beauty no other drag show can match. Lip-sync artists feel their oats on the sands of Baker Beach and perform beneath clouds and cotton-candy skies, with wind-whipped waves and the Golden Gate Bridge as backup dancers.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adFind it: Golden Hour Drag, Baker Beach at the Sand Ladder on Fridays and Lobos Creek on Saturdays and Sundays. 10. All the glamour you can stand at Munros at MidnightWhat to know: It’s “the only thing worth doing on a Monday night in the Castro,”…

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